Holdttp-frustrator device



J. F. FENTON.

HOLDUP FRUSTRATOR DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-9.1919.

Patnted Nov. 4, 1919.

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JOHN F. FENT'ON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

HOLDUP-FRUSTRATOR DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Nov. 4 1919.

Application filed September 9, 1919. Seriai No. 322,674.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. FENTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Holdup-Frustrator Device, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hold-up frustrators, and the object of the invention is to provide a bullet and gun proof barricade which is adapted for the occupancy of cashiers, bank tellers, paymasters, watchmen and others, and having facility for con stantly insuring the occupant against surprise attacks of robbers or evil disposed persons, and constantly providing a safeguard for money and valuables in the barricade and in the vicinity of the same.

It is my information that hold-up robberies of banks, stores and other business places, usually take place at a time when few employees are present and the robbers are able to surprise and hold-up the employee and, thereafter, succeed by intimidation. My invention is particularly adapted to prevent surprise by robbers and to constantly assure the drop to the occupant at any time and anywhere in the vicinity of the barricade.

I attain the objects and other advantages by means of the structure and combination of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichFigure 1, is a front elevation of the frustrator, constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2, is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3, is a side elevation of the same, and showing the door or entry thereto. Fig. 4, is an elevation of the inner side of the front member. Fig. 5, 1s a mem er, Fig. 6, is a plan view of the inner side of the cap member. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the inner side of the side member shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 8, is a detail of one of the port holes and its shield, showing the port open and the entry therein of the occupants gun barrel.

Similar numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The hold-up frustrator consists of a knockdown barricade comprising a floor member 1, having its borders upset to form an upwardly extending flange 2, a front member 3, consisting of a steel plate having its side margins inturned to form side flange 4, a plane back member 5, having its lan view of the inner side of the floor side borders inturned to form side flanges 6, a plane side member 7, a plane side mem her 8, having a door opening 9, apertured therein, and a roof or cap member 10, having its side margins downturned to form flanges 11. All the members mentioned are made from sheet metal preferably of hard, bullet roof steel plate and nonpierceable by pro eotiles fired from pistols and guns. The front, back and side members are provided with a series of port holes 12, which are of a diameter calculated to loosely receive the barrel of a pistol or rifle. Shields 13, are pivotally'mounted on the inner sides of the members and are adapted for normally closing the port holes. Limiting stops 14, are attached on the inner sides of all the members, excepting the floor and cap members, at one side of the port holes, and are rigid, to limit the backward rotation of theshields, and a hinged stop 15, is likewise mounted at the opposite side of the port holes and adapted for holding the shields normally over the port holes and for releasing the same if occasion require. A plurality of perforations 16, are apertured in the front, back, and side members, around and about the port holes 12, and are adapted for providing opportunity for the occupant in the barricade to obtain a clear view of the vicinity of the barricade, on all sides thereof. The perforations are, however, limited in size, so that projectiles fired from pistols, guns, and like fire arms, cannot pass therethrough. A door 17, made of bullet proof steel plate is movably mounted on the inner side of the side member 8, and is provided on its lower end with wheels 18, which travel on a tram rail 19, attached on the inner side of the floor member and paralleling the flange thereon. A drop flange 20, is attached on the inner side of the upper end of the side member 8, and is adapted for receiving the upper end of the door and guide the latter when it is traveling on the rail 19. A grip 21, is attached on the outer side of the door to facilitate its opening. A catch 22,

is attached on the inner side of the door and is adapted for entering a staple 23, which is attached on the inner side of the back member in a position to receive the catch, so that the occupant of the barricade may look himself therein with safety and security. The shields 13, are pivotally mounted on the inner sides of the vertical members of the barricade, by bolts 2d, and

structure supporting the barricade.

their nuts 25. The door 17, is likewise provided with upper and lower port holes 12, shields 13, limiting stops 14, hinged stops 15, perforations 16, and the shields are pivoted by bolts 24:, and their nuts 25.

The constituent members are assembled to form the barricade device as follows: The bottom member 1, is inverted and fastened on the floor of the structure in which it is installed by screw bolts 26, which are extended through the floor member at any suitable place and forced to penetrate ltpe 1e front member 3, and the back member 5, are then positioned vertically on the floor member, the lower end .portions of the members disposed to abut the flange 2, of the floor member. The sidemember 8, is then placed vertically on the floor member and abutting the flange 2, the flanges 1 and 6, of the front and back members overlapping the side members a little distance. Side .member 7, is then placed vertically on the floor member and abutting the flange 2. The cap member 10, is then placed on the upper ends of all the members, the drop flange 11, thereon overlapping the members. Clamping bolts 27, are entered through the flanges 2 and 11, and through the members, and nuts 28, on the bolts are screwed to clamp the parts involved together. At the time the side member 8, is installed in place, the door 17, is positioned thereon, with its upper end engaged by the flange 20, and the wheels 18, carried by the door, mounted on the tram rail 19. A window opening 29, is apertured at one side of the front member, through which the occupant of the barricade may transact business with patrons on the outside thereof, for instance, banking, paying or receiving money or val uables. A shutter 30, is slidably mounted on the inner side of the front member and 15 adapted for entirely closing the window opening. A yielding catch 31, is mounted on the shutter, and is provided with a proectlng portion 32, which is adapted for entering either of grooves 33, arranged in the inner side of the front member, the uppermost of the grooves is located to receive the catch and hold the shutter withdrawn from the window opening and the lowermost groove is adapted for receiving the catch and hold the shutter in place to close the window. A shield 34, is mounted edgewise on the inner side of the front member, at the side of the window, and is extended upwardly, downwardly, and inwardly a suitable distance to afford positive protection to the body of the occupant of the barricade, when he is transacting business at the window. A stool 35, a table 36, and a money drawer 37, are installed in the barricade for the convenience of the operator. A telephone 38, on an exchange circuit, not shown, is provided for the operator to communicate with police stations or other places, so that in times of peril he may communicate with those outside the place where the barricade may be installed. An audible signal 39, in this instance, a horn, is provided, so that the o erator may give audible warning of impen ing danger to those inside and outside the building, in which the barricade is installed. A buzzer 40, is provided, in connection with a local electric circuit, not shown, so that associates of the o erator, outside the barricade, may alarm t e operator of danger or of suspicious conduct which may have escaped the notice of the operator.

When the barricade is installed, the operator enters in at the door 17 and immediately rolls the door back to closed positlon and locks himself in by dropping the catch 22, into the staple 23. Considering safety first, the operator should enter the barricade before the public has been admitted to the building, so that it would be impossible for him to be surprised in the act of transferring money and valuables from the vault to the barricade for the days business, and so too, he should not leave the barricade until the public has been excluded from the building, or his associates were in sufficient numbers and prepared to frustrate any holdup of the operator as he emerged from the barricade. The shields 13, are locked over the port holes, by dropping the hinged stops 15, against the edges of all the shields, thus closing from the inside all the port holes, and rendering it impossible for any person to seize, harm or intimidate with fire arms, the operator, who, at all times thereafter is not only insured against attack, but is constantly and automatically possessed of the drop on all persons in the vicinity of the barricade, on all sides thereof. When the .operator enters the barricade he also drops the shutter 30, to, close the window 29, the catch 31, automatically springing back and into the lowermost groove 33, whereby a positive locking of the shutter is accomplished. The operator is at all times protected against any surprise attack through the open window, by the shield 31, which shields his body. If he is transacting business with a patron, he stands back of the body shield 34, reaching over its upper end to handle the money or valuables. Two precautions are essentially necessary to be, observed by the operator, namely, he must occupy the frustrator prepared to transact his business with the public before the room in which the frustrator is stationed is opened to the public, and he must keep the window closed at all times, except when transacting business therethrough. If, after the frustrator is prepared and occupied, robbers should enter the room and hold-up those outside of the frustrator, the operator views the attempt through the perforations in the sides of the frustrator and immediately releases the hinged stop 15, looking the shield 13, over the selected port hole 12, through which he projects the barrel of his fire arm and discharges it at the robbers, one at a time and until he has either slain or driven them away. If attacked when he is alone, he may communicate with the police by the telephone, alarm the neighborhood with the horn and, at the same time keep firing through the port holes, at many angles, thus sweeplng the whole room around and about the frustrator. It is obvious that the operator is always safe and secure against injury and always possessed of the advantage of the drop, since it is obvious he can never be taken advantage of by any surprise attack. It is generally considered that the element of surprise is the factor which makes the robbers attack successful. At 41, in Fig. 8, I show a fragment of the gun barrel of the operator projected through a port hole and in position to sweep the room at one side of the frustrator with gun fire. The operator lifts and swings back the hinged stop 15, with the gun barrel and then presses the shield 13, to the right with the barrel and, at the same time, thrusts the barrel through the port hole and fires the gun. On withdrawing the barrel of the gun, the shield drops by gravity to normal position over the port hole, and the stop 15, is swung over to normal locking position against the shield. If a patron approaches the frustrator to transact business, he is observed by the operator, who raises the shutter of the window, attends the patron, and drops the shutter. The frustrator is adapted for installation in stores and rooms where valuables are stored, for the use of watchmen, and where it may be stationed to afford the watchman opportunity to observe the approach of burglars and hold-up robbers in all parts of the room. The frustrator may also be stationed at the entrances of outdoor amusement grounds where admittance fees are collected, such as circus grounds, fair grounds, parks, and the like. Two rows of port holes are provided, the lowermost row being for the purpose of providing a view and facility for firing when the operator is seated in the frustrator and the uppermost row is for the same purpose when he is standing.

Having described my invention what I claim is A hold-up frustrator, consisting of a knock-down barricade made of bullet resistin metal and having its vertical sides provided with series of port holes and with a plurality of perforated apertures forming a screen about the port holes, metallic shields pivotally mounted on the inner sides of the vertical sides of the barricade and adapted for holding the port holes normally closed,

means for selectively detainin and releasing the individual shields, a window opening in said barricade, a metallic shutter slidably mounted on the inner side of said barricade and adapted for closing said window opening, means for detaining said shutter in open or closed position, a metallic shield attached on the inner side of the barricade and adapted for shielding said window opening, an entrance in one of the sides of said barricade, and a metallic door slidably mounted in said barricade and adapted for closing said entrance.

Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 4, 1919.

JOHN F. FENTON. Witnesses:

BATTLE MCCARDLE, FmRENon HALLISEY. 

